Derek Pegues

Personal He is the cousin of former NFL Linebacker Dwayne Rudd. Pegues attended the same high school as Rudd, South Panola, which also produced former Pittsburgh Steelers starting Cornerback Deshea Townsend, Rudd's teammate in high school and college, at the University of Alabama.

High school career

2002 (Sophomore) Pegues had an outstanding prep career at South Panola High School in Batesville, Mississippi. He started at Cornerback for the South Panola Tigers his sophomore season which saw the team go 14–1 with their only loss coming against Wayne County High School in the MHSAA Class 5A State Championship game, by a score of 21–14.

2003 (Junior) As a junior, Pegues was moved to Quarterback to replace departed starter Rickey Wright, who had signed a letter of intent to play football at Mississippi State. In his first season at the helm of the Tigers' offense as a junior (2003), Pegues guided the team to a 15–0 record, the Class 5A State Championship and a #9 national ranking from USA Today. South Panola routed previously unbeaten Oak Grove High School 33–14 in the 5A title game. Pegues received First-Team All-State recognition from the Clarion-Ledger newspaper along with teammates Jamarca Sanford and Peria Jerry, who went on to standout college careers at the University of Mississippi and played in the NFL.

2005 Alabama-Mississippi Game Later that year, Pegues would guide another team to an All-Star game victory. Pegues played Running back in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Classic, which annually pits the best players from each state against one another. The game was held at its annual location, Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, on June 4, 2005 (formerly a summer contest, it has since been moved to December).

Pegues picked up 15 carries for 106 yards (7.1 average) and a touchdown in a 21–18 Mississippi victory. He was again joined by his fellow Mississippi teammates from the Army Game, Wayne County's Jerrell Powe and Collins High's Josh McNeil, as well as Brookhaven's Jimmy Johns, an Alabama signee who had beaten Pegues for the "Mr. Football" award annually bestowed upon the State's best player.

Professional career Pegues had tryouts with the NFL's Chicago Bears in 2009 and the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2011 but failed to make either roster. He spent the 2012 season with the Iowa Barnstormers

Awards

High school Selected to play in the 2005 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star football game, leading the Mississippi team to a 21-18 victory Week 8 Outstanding Performer Week 13 Special Teams Player of the Week (13) 2007 Preseason All-SEC First Team (SEC Coaches, Phil Steele) 2006 All-SEC Second Team (Coaches, Scout.com)

Statistics

High school

Passing Comp Att % Yards TD INT 2003 (Jr.) 59 102 57.8 1,160 13 4 2004 (Sr.) - - - 637 6 - Total - - - 1,797 19 -

Rushing Att Yards Avg TD 2003 (Jr.) 138 1,460 10.5 28 2004 (Sr.) - 1,659 - 26 Total - 3,119 - 54

Defense Tckl BrkUp INT FR 2003 (Jr.) 45 15 7 2 2004 (Sr.) 51 - 5 - Total 96 - 12 -

College

Defense GP/GS TCKL TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR BRKUP INT-YDS 2005 (Fr.) 11/0 14 - - 1/0 2 1-3 2006 (So.) 12/12 32 1.5-6 - 0/0 5 4-95 2007 (Jr.) 13/13 50 2-3 - 0/1 7 5-120 Total 36/25 96 3.5-9 - 1/1 14 10-218

Kick Return GP/GS RET YARDS AVG TD LONG (OPP) 2005 (Fr.) 11/11 28 559 20 0 51 (Auburn) 2006 (So.) 12/12 29 687 23.7 0 61 (Tulane) 2007 (Jr.) 13/13 24 544 22.7 0 51 (West Virginia) Total 36/36 81 1790 22.1 0 61 (Tulane)

Punt Return GP/GS RET YARDS AVG TD LONG (OPP) 2005 (Fr.) 11/0 1 2 2 0 2 (Houston) 2006 (So.) 12/12 25 350 14 1 81 (Jacksonville St.) 2007 (Jr.) 13/13 27 268 9.9 1 75 (Ole Miss) Total 36/25 53 620 11.7 2 81 (Jacksonville St.)